ALLEGED ARSON.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 35, 11 February 1929, Page 8

ALLEGED ARSON.

BEDDING ON FIRE. BREAKING AMD ENTERING. two MKX ( n \i;i;i.i). ll.ir.iM S. fiillajihi-r am\ T...ui- X. •~i>irk iM-i-i- jointly til tin- < >iicliuiipi Piilii-c (Vuirt today with fiii;-;-ini; i'ii' ilu elliiiLr of Ah I.linn <>n •Limiary 2-">. with intcni t'> coinmil a crime. ;ii!il with tiicl't from the sum l <1 \-.«-11 ■!!•_■; ai.-o with lirciikiiif! and fiiioriiif< the , of Willi Siui; with iiitont to c-iiniiilt arscn. liy sotting liri , to the lu'fliliiiji of Wall Sliiir within th<. , [ircinisi'fi (ifciijiioil liy tlir <ai.l Wall Sim.'. ami ;'m«l< \alnc<l at £2 14'!); iilso with I'm , to on" wooden lii'X at tin' -aiiir jilarc: ami tii;;t liicy <!:<! coiniiiit iiii-ciiiff. <L.i iii.-i n i iilt nil iiin!nvil.i valued at ::2 ; 'i: al*n <!ii! steal iiooils valued at 12/: also did «i«-al from SlaliM" i• 11 u of t"!i;:e.-o vahi'd at l/ii. jii;i| one pair of [i!i]f»;Mi!iii'.->. '.allied at ).",/. Mr. F. If. Levien. S.M:. [.resided. Deter: ivo S.TL'railt Kelly I ■n.-e-.-nted. Mr. !■'. W. Schraiiiin apin-iin-d for both men mid ple.idcd not «uiltv. • 'i-a;i Jlawlinys. a <lomo*tic: om;dnye;l liy Sain .laik. -aid the two ai<u-i-d men entered her room at about 'Z p.m. on • >:• :mi.-i ry 'I't. while -he was lyiii" in lied. She hail never «cen tlifin lief ore. T'lcy <»:•«•:• eii the door and walked In. They had had liquor, hut 7iot enough to make ihi'isi -ttipiil. They knew what they were doiiiL'. She t.-!:l them to away. whii-li they flj<l. She no\t hoard thorn ut another dour. She ;y>t up. went down t!ie "ardeti. and toi.l Wah Sinp that the two men would n<>! «et out. Then -he ran to Mr. Slater's house and told hi:n tlie .-a me. There wa* no ••iiyi >.f (ire when -ho left the Chinese dwelling. Prior to the arrival of the police she returned to her room, when file found Mime bedding on fire. Oeorire Slater, a retired railway em"hn (■:-. - ; ;id Sam Jack's place whs about 200 yard- from his dwelling. On .Tanuary 25 he heard someone enter his house, and found three men in the kitchen. They were pretty well on in li<|iior. They asked him "if lie had said any thin" against the men working on the recreation reserve, and he said "X >. v They then inquired for Jean Rauiings, and were told that she lived in her own place at Sam Jack's. Ten minutes later Jean Rawlings called at hi> hou.-e nv.A told him that two men were at her home. She stayed at his house whiie he went to investigate. He found one of the rooms wa* al! alight. H<carried out a box (produced I. Re could smell kerosene on the box. lie found hcddin.a PnionlderiiiL' in another room, and he extinguished the fin-. The two accused were leaving ihi- r i as ])<• entered. He then returned to his own Place, and saw a Chine-!' named Luiilin beiny eha.-ed by the ai-cu>e<l the sarden. A< the man <-ha*e<l had a «ooil -tart, witness did not interfere. Witness saw the defendants searche.l *t the police station, where a pair of ijinoeiihsr-i and a stick of tobacco were taken from Stock. The hiiint-iilur* !ia<i been in his bedroom, and tlio tobacco on the kitchen table. Witness ha<l n,,t L'iven tl:e man permis'ion to take ]ii = property.

T.> >ii. Schramm: He had never pa.«se<! any remark* üboiit the men working on the r.-.Tve. There were three men .it iir-f. and t?i<" tallest o( tliem went away with two ripucrs of beer. He did not -cc liow (he tire started. There was no ilisturliance ami no siiootin? of pun-. It all hap]HMiiil in abmu t.-n minutes. <>iily t!:e iiccU.-i'd were pie-cllt. X.i one (•]-(■ was withisi 1011 y-tnl-. On ill.- i-harjre of theft of jroods valued :ii £J !.">/ tii.th men were convicted and admitted to probation for two year-. Th.-y were a!s ( , prohibited. On tlic'othrr eniiiits. they «•••••»• conviit,d and ili — The -101.-ii t.,,,,,1- were ordered io lie returned to their owner-. Accused were ordered to pay co-»t<=. £10 .""./. The Charges Reduces. Afler hoariiivi the evidence of ilie ;v.-i < iiine-.- yanU'iiciv Hiul of Coii-tabli' HinI'li. Mr. Lc\icn decided to ixline th«indictable diaiges of arson and breaking iinil enterin- t ; > charges ( ,f miscliief. io which Mr. Schramm, on behalf 'of accu-cd, jileaded